June 25, 1874] 



NA TURE 



151 



vciy soon be complete, La A/ondes says. The French Govern- 

 ment have voted 30,000 francs to the meteorological department, 

 and M. Le Verrier is about to resume the work of international 

 meteorology, with the fixed intention of abandoning local meteor- 

 ology to the departmental observatory of Mont-Souris. M. 

 Le Verrier is at present in this country, having come over to get 

 his Cambridge degree conferred. lie is to visit Newcastle, 

 to inspect Mr. Newall's large telescope, and Edinburgh and 

 Glasgow in connection with meteorology. The printing has been 

 begun of a very large catalogue of stars observed at the Paris 

 Observatory. MM. Fizeau and Comu are measuring, anew the 

 speed of light under conditions which encour.ige us to look for a 

 definite result. 



There will be ample opportunities for practical work in 

 Natural Science during the long vacation (July and August) at 

 Cambridge. The laboratories cf Experimental Physics, of 

 Chemistry and Physiology, will be open, and the professors, or the 

 demonstrators, or both, will be in attendance to give assistance 

 to students. Prof. Newton has given notice of a practical class 

 for Comparative Anatomy; and Prof. Humphry has given 

 notico of a practical class for Human Anatomy (more particularly 

 Osteology), an ! a'so for Histology. 



TilE Rev. S. J. Perry, the head of the expedition sent out by 

 the Admiralty to observe the transit of Venus, together with 

 Lieut. Coke, R.N., Paymaster Brown, R.N., and the Rev. W. 

 Sl<lgreaves, were among the passengers by the steamer Windsor 

 Costlf, which left Dartmouth on Tuesday for the Cape of Good 

 Hope. 



The conversazione of the Society of Arts held in the South 

 Kensington Museum last Friday was a great success. It is said 

 there were about 3,500 guests present. 



A r the annual meeting of the Palestine Exploration Fund, 

 Lieut. Conder, R.E. (officer in charge of the survey of Palestine), 

 described the work of the expedition. Before leaving Pales- 

 tine be had completed half the map, and it \\'.as expected that 

 within four years, instead of eight, the whole of Palestine would 

 have been surveyed. There were now 300 square miles added 

 to the map, being five times the result at first expected to be 

 accomplished. 



Tuii discovery of a new planet by Mr. Perrotin, of Toulouse, 

 is announced. 



At the half-yearly meeting of the Highland and Agricul- 

 tural Society of Scotland, a long discussion took place in 

 reference to the filling up of the vacancy in the chemi- 

 cal ilepartment, as also on the proposal for gr.Tnting bursaries 

 with a view to the encouragement of agricultural edu- 

 cation throughout the country. It was ultimately agreed to 

 remit the matter back to the directors, with hislructions to 

 inquire as to the amount of funds that could be placed at their 

 disposal for the educational and chemical departments. A 

 motion for memorialising Government on the propriety of esta- 

 blishing agriculture as a branch of the system of physical science 

 taught under the superintendence of the Department of Science 

 and Art, and proposing that the Society offer a premium for the 

 best text -book for such a course, was adopted. 



In reliance on the receipt of further subscriptions to prosecute 

 the Sub-Wealden Exploration, it has been decided to continue 

 the boring to a farther depth cf 2coft. The hon. secretary has 

 offered to become personally responsible to the Diamond Rock 

 Boring Company for the cost of the extra 200 ft. His offer has 

 been accepted, and he has been requested to issue another appeal 

 for subscriptions. In doing so he urges upon "all who like to 

 he considered generor.s, enlightened, wise, and good, to vie with 



each other in contributing to complete this the first boring for 

 scientific purposes in England." 



At the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Geographical 

 Society on Monday it was stated that there had been an 

 increase of 342 new membering and 9 honorary correspond- 

 ing members; the Society now numbers 2,yoo Fellows. In 

 .accordance with the announcement already made, the Founder's 

 f;old Medal was presented to Dr. Georg Schweinfurth, in whose 

 absence it was received for him by the German Ambassador 

 Count Miinster ; and the Victoria (or Patron's) Gold Medal, 

 which had been awarded to Col. P. Egerton Warburton, for his 

 journey across the previously unknown part of Western Aus- 

 tralia, was received by his nephew, Mr. Bateman. Mr. Francis 

 Galton, F. R.S., then introduced the successful competitors for 

 the annual geographical medals. A gold medal for phy- 

 sical geography was awarded to Louis Weston (City of Lon- 

 don School), and a bronze medal for the same subject to Francis 

 Charles Montague (University College School). For political 

 geography, a gold medal was gained by W. H. Turton (Clifton 

 College, Bristol), and a bronze medal by Lionel Jacob (City of 

 London School). The president. Sir Bartle Frere, then delivered 

 his address on the progress of geography, and announced as his 

 successor in the presidential chair, Major-Gen. Sir Henry C. 

 Rawlinson, K.C.B. Medals were also given toChumrhand 

 Susi, two of Livingstone's black servants, who brought his 

 MSS. to England. The Rev. H. Waller stated they were of 

 invaluable aid to Mr. T. Livingstone in editing the MSS., 

 both from their accurate knowledge of the country and their in- 

 telligent comprehension of the maps. At the anniversary dinner 

 in the evening, among those who were present and who spoke 

 were M. Leverrier and Chief-Justice Daley, President of the 

 American Geographical Society. 



The fourth part of Tryon's "American Marine Conchology " 

 has made its appearance, with eight coloured places, and em- 

 bracing the fiimily of the C/ii/oiiiilir, of which six species are in- 

 dicated, the orders O/is/iio/niiiu/iiii/ii and rieropoda, the com- 

 mencement of the class Accpluiln, beginning with the P/io/aifidtr. 

 The woik was commenced early in 1S73, and if it be confined to 

 the five or six parts originally proposed, will scon be brought to 

 a completion. 



At the annual distribution of the prizes in connection with 

 the Newcastle College of Physical Science, on the 17th inst , 

 the address of the Dean was, on the whole, very hopeful. The 

 number of students has not greatly increased, but the quality of 

 the work done has advanced considerably. We regret to see 

 that the evening cLasses have not been so great a success as was 

 hoped ; but we hope the professors will not be easily induced to 

 discontinue them, but will take every means to let their advantages 

 be known to the young men of the district. During the past 

 year the facilities of the college for imparting knowledge has 

 been very much increased. The laboratory has been extended ; 

 a large and valuable collection of minerals has been added to 

 Dr. Page's museum ; and several expensive instruments have 

 also been added to Mr. Herschel's collection. It is hoped that 

 very soon a Chair of Biology will be established in the Uni- 

 versity. Arrangements have been made by which the degree of 

 B. Sc. will be conferred on any deserving student by the Uni- 

 versity of Durham ; and we are glad to see that the requirements 

 for this degree have been made very considerable. Arrange- 

 ments have also been made by which the college will be fully re- 

 presented in the Senate of Durham. 



A Geologists' Fjeld Ci-Uts was instituted at Halifax at the 

 close of the University lectures (Cambridge extension scheme) 

 last April. The excursions which had been made from time to 

 time with Mr. SoUas, 1!.A., m.ade the students wishful to keep 

 them up ; hence the formation of a club which numbers about 



